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Head Start continues quality reforms with second group of competitions

January 17, 2013

Head Start continues quality reforms with second group of competitions

122 grantees required to compete for continued funding

In order to ensure that children and families across the country receive the highest quality services, the Office of Head Start has informed 122 grantees that they will have to compete for continued Head Start funding. Under regulations announced by President Obama in 2011, grantees who do not meet quality thresholds must compete with other potential early childhood education providers for future Head Start funds.

“This administration is deeply committed to our nation’s children,” said George Sheldon, acting assistant secretary of the Administration for Children and Families. “An important part of that commitment is providing early education that prepares children for success in school. This competition is one way that we will ensure that the children in Head Start will get the best early education that each of their communities can offer.”

In accordance with these regulations, these 122 grantees were designated for competition because they had their licenses revoked, had fiscal or management issues preventing them from properly managing federal funds, or had deficiencies discovered in their on-site federal monitoring review. Additionally, grantees who scored in the lowest 10 percent of all Head Start centers who received a classroom quality evaluation in their on-site federal monitoring review must compete.

Head Start provides early education and a range of family support services to more than 1 million children from low-income families. The competition is designed to ensure that each of these children has access to the highest quality program possible.

“We will make every effort to ensure that Head Start services are not disrupted for children and their parents during this time of transition,” said Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, Office of Head Start director. “Our goal is, and always has been, to provide the best possible early childhood education to children across the country. This competition process will ensure that we are meeting that goal.”

This is the second group of grantees designated to compete for continued funding. The first group was announced in December of 2011.